After her mom died in 2002, Trudy Walta wanted her grieving dad to be surrounded by loved ones in a comfortable home and safe neighborhood, with the backdrop of a rural landscape just outside his window to nurture his painting hobby.

So Walta's husband, Tom, a private contractor, built an addition to the family's 1950s brick ranch home in Palos Heights, and her dad, Sabian Zelencik, moved from his Calumet City abode to the "bachelor pad."

Like residents both young and old, Zelencik, 91, has thrived in their quiet, tranquil neighborhood, dubbed "Olde Palos," because it is the oldest section of the city. "He paints pictures of the seasons from the view of his backyard . . . he loves to sit out [on a deck] and paint," said Walta, adding that some of his paintings were recently shown in the Palos Heights Public Library. Walta too appreciates the landscape and enjoys gardening and jogging in nice weather.

The Waltas were drawn to Palos Heights in 1978 because of its attractive, sturdy homes, the rural atmosphere, safety and good schools. To their surprise, the area seems as popular to older residents as to younger families. Their children—Lauren, 24, Collin, 19, and Erin, 17—grew up riding their bikes to local stores and spending almost every summer day at the city's outdoor pool.

"It's real nice that we have all ages in the area," said Walta, a fitness instructor at the Palos Heights Recreation Department and health aide at Independence Junior High School.

Though roughly 40 percent of the community's 13,000 residents are seniors, younger families with children are attracted to the area because of the quality schools.

After Wouter Peddemors landed an engineering job at Madison Paper in Alsip in 2005, he and his wife Vanessa, an accountant, looked for a home in the region.

"We saw the very, very good schools in the Palos area and that's the main reason we said, 'let's settle here,' " said Wouter Peddemors, who moved here with his family from South Africa.

Their sons, Luke, 10, and Dylan, 7, attend School District 118's Palos East Elementary School. They belong to the Palos Baseball Organization and enjoy playing basketball at the Palos Heights Recreation Center.

There are also private schools: St. Alexander Elementary School, Chicago Christian High School and Elim Christian Services, which serves developmentally disabled children and adults.

The Peddemors family has also been pleased with the friendly neighborhood. "People seem to get along very well, and I think we've been very well-received as foreigners. People have been welcoming and going out of their way to incorporate us into the community," said Wouter Peddemors.

Residents and officials say the crime rate is low in this southwest suburb 17 miles southwest of the Loop, limited to mainly driving infractions.

Commuting downtown is a breeze thanks to convenient highway connections or Metra, which has a new station in the city offering 500 fee-based parking spaces and Saturday service as of March 21. There are also several PACE buses that go from Midway Airport's CTA station to Palos Heights.

Another big draw is the diverse housing stock, ranging from ranch homes to Cape Cods, Georgians and large town homes. Most homes are on 14,000-square-foot lots. "There's everything, and that's the neat thing about the area," said Suzy Fredrickson, a longtime real estate agent for Re/Max in Palos Heights.

Fredrickson, a resident since 1963, said housing prices range from about $235,000 to a couple of million dollars.In recent years, Fredrickson said she noticed younger people originally from the community returning.

"They couldn't wait to get out of here, but when they had their families and kids, maybe they realized it's not such a bad thing to have nothing going on," said Fredrickson, whose own kids used to jokingly call the city "action heights."

In fact, the lack of congestion and noise, plentiful trees and surrounding forest preserves are what draw many families to Palos Heights.

The city's main business districts are along Harlem Avenue near Route 83 and along Ridgeland Avenue and 127th Street, with some unique restaurants and small stores. There is also a Jewel-Osco and Dominick's Finer Foods.

Basic Development Group of Joliet is planning a mixed-use development at the corner of Route 83 and Harlem Avenue with retail, office, restaurant and banquet hall space. (Basic had planned a senior housing complex, but changed plans after residents and some officials voiced a greater need for retail.)

The city has a recreation center that offers various fitness and athletic programs and a wealth of outdoor activities, with seven parks and recreation areas, including Lake Katherine Nature Center and Botanic Gardens.

There are also baseball fields, basketball courts, playgrounds, sand volleyball courts, tennis courts and a community pool, according to Parks and Recreation Director Mike Leonard. A 26-mile multi-use trail from Lemont to Burnham is expected to be completed by 2012. "We have a lot to offer," said Leonard.

For culture, there's Trinity Christian College's lectures, concerts and art exhibits. The city's new art park will begin displaying local talent in June. The park will display sculptures and paintings in a garden-like setting just off the city's Harlem Avenue business district.

"We're unique from many suburbs in that we do have a four-year college, high school, hospital, nature center and golf course. Most towns our size don't have all those amenities," said Mayor Bob Straz, who has served two terms and is running for a third in April.

"Besides all the amenities, we have a great group of people who are really into civic pride and volunteerism," said Straz.

In recent years, residents and businesses started a beautification committee in conjunction with the city that spruces up portions of Harlem Avenue, and promotes a yearly classic car event, fall festival and marathon. A 50th anniversary celebration this year features dancing, concerts and festivals throughout the year.

"We're the little city that's pulling itself up by the bootstraps with the help of the residents," said Ald. Jean Gnap, a longtime resident and owner of Best Sellers bookstore in Palos Heights. She said the community is very active, adding: "There's no reason to sit at home and do nothing."

Still, a number of residents lament the scarcity of stores and restaurant franchises, as well as a fancier fitness center and outdoor water park.

The city's small and aging pool has deteriorated in recent years, though renovations, marketing and special events helped increase attendance 19 percent in 2008. The recreation department is hoping to receive a $917,000 state grant later this year to further renovate the pool and add a water slide in 2010.

The recreation center, a former school building constructed about 50 years ago, has a newly renovated fitness room and gym floor but could still use a "facelift," according to some residents.

Melissa Feczko, a lifelong resident who loves the community but thinks it needs a new recreation center geared toward the entire family, said her family installed a pool and ice skating rink several years ago (when they feared the city pool would close) so her kids, Billy, 7, and Gabrielle, 4, would have a place to gather with their friends. "We wanted to create a community-type environment for my kids to play with all their friends, instead of having to go to Orland Park," said Feczko about her own pool and rink.

To boost its business districts, the city plans to develop building design guidelines to create a more uniform look and add decorative street lights later this year and will consider other improvements over the next decade.